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Spherical Coordinates: Transforms
Spherical Coordinates: Transforms
Spherical Coordinates
^
r
Transforms
! r
r=
x2 + y2 + z 2
y = r sin! sin"
z = r cos !
& = arctan ( y, x )
^
!
x = r sin ! cos"
^
"
y
x
"
Unit Vectors
The unit vectors in the spherical coordinate system are functions of position. It is convenient to express them in terms of
the spherical coordinates and the unit vectors of the rectangular coordinate system which are not themselves functions of
position.
!
r = r = xx + yy + zz = x sin! cos " + y sin! sin " + z cos!
r
r
z
#
r
" =
= $ x sin " + y cos "
sin!
! = " # r = x cos ! cos" + y cos! sin " $ z sin!
!"
=0
!r
!"
=0
!#
!"
= $ x cos " $ y sin " = $ r sin # + # cos #
!"
!"
=0
!r
!"
= # x sin " cos $ # y sin" sin $ # z cos " = # r
!"
!"
= # x cos" sin $ + y cos" cos $ = $ cos"
!$
Path increment
!
We will have many uses for the path increment dr expressed in spherical coordinates:
$ !r
!
!r
!r '
dr = d (rr ) = rdr + rdr = rdr + r& dr +
d" +
d# )
!"
!# (
% !r
= rdr + "rd" + #r sin "d#
!r
!r !r
r =
r +
"+
# = " " + ## sin "
!r
!"
!#
!"
!" !"
" =
r +
"+
# = $ r" + # # cos "
!r
!"
!#
!#
!# !#
# =
r +
"+
# = $ r sin " + " cos " #
!r
!"
!#
! !
a = v = rr + r r + !r! + !r! + !r! + "r" sin! + "r" sin! + "r"sin ! + "r"! cos !
[(
)]
) (
) (
!
a = r ""
r ! r"" 2 ! r#" 2 sin 2 " + " r""" + 2 r""" ! r#" 2 sin " cos " + # r#"" sin " + 2r""#" cos " + 2 r"#" sin "
du =
!u
!u
!u
dr +
d" +
d# .
!r
!"
!#
But we also define the gradient in such a way as to obtain the result
!
!
du = !u " dr
Therefore,
!
!u
!u
!u
!
dr +
d" +
d# = $u % dr
!r
!"
!#
or, in spherical coordinates,
!
!
!
!u
!u
!u
dr +
d" +
d# = $u dr + $u rd" + $ u r sin" d#
r
"
#
!r
!"
!#
( )
( )
( )
and we demand that this hold for any choice of dr, d, and d . Thus,
(!u )
"u
,
"r
(!u )
1 "u
,
r "#
(!u )
1 "u
,
r sin # "$
!
" # "
$ "
! = r +
+
"r r "# r sin # "$
Divergence
! !
The divergence ! " A is carried out taking into account, once again, that the unit vectors themselves are functions of the
coordinates. Thus, we have
! ! & # $ #
% # )
! " A = ( r +
+
+ " Ar r + A$ $ + A% %
' #r r #$ r sin $ #% *
where the derivatives must be taken before the dot product so that
! ! & # $ #
% # ) !
! " A = ( r +
+
+ "A
' #r r #$ r sin $ #% *
!
!
!
#A
#
A
$
%
#
A
= r "
+ "
+
"
#r r #$ r sin$ #%
& #A
#A%
#A
#r
#$
#% )
= r " ( r r + $ $ +
% + Ar
+ A$
+ A%
+
#r
#r
#r
#r
#r *
' #r
#A%
$ & #A
#A
#r
#$
#% )
+ " ( r r + $ $ +
% + Ar
+ A$
+ A%
+
r ' #$
#$
#$
#$
#$
#$ *
+
& #A
#A%
%
#A
#r
#$
#% )
" ( r r + $ $ +
% + Ar
+ A$
+ A%
+
r sin$ ' #%
#%
#%
#%
#%
#% *
! !
& #A
#A
)
#A
! " A = r " ( r r + $ $ + % % + 0 + 0 + 0+
#r
#r
' #r
*
#A
#A
)
$ & #A
+ " ( r r + $ $ + % % + Ar$ + A$ (, r ) + 0+
r ' #$
#$
#$
*
+
%
r sin$
[(
! ! 1 # 2
#A%
1 #
( A$ sin$ ) + 1
!" A = 2
r Ar +
r #r
r sin$ #$
r sin $ #%
)]
& #A
#A%
)
#A
" ( r r + $ $ +
% + Ar sin$ % + A$ cos $% + A% , r sin $ + $ cos$ +
#%
#%
' #%
*
Curl
! !
The curl ! " A is also carried out taking into account that the unit vectors themselves are functions of the coordinates.
Thus, we have
! ! & # $ #
% # )
! " A = ( r +
+
+ " Arr + A$ $ + A% %
' #r r #$ r sin $ #% *
where the derivatives must be taken before the cross product so that
! ! & # $ #
% # ) !
! " A = ( r +
+
+" A
' #r r #$ r sin $ #% *
!
!
!
#A
#
A
$
%
#
A
= r "
+ "
+
"
#r r #$ r sin $ #%
& #A
#A%
#A
#r
#$
#% )
= r " ( r r + $ $ +
% + Ar
+ A$
+ A% +
#r
#r
#r
#r
#r *
' #r
#A%
$ & #A
#A
#r
#$
#% )
+ " ( r r + $ $ +
% + Ar
+ A$
+ A%
+
r ' #$
#$
#$
#$
#$
#$ *
+
& #A
#A%
%
#A
#r
#$
#% )
" ( r r + $ $ +
% + Ar
+ A$
+ A%
+
r sin$ ' #%
#%
#%
#%
#%
#% *
! !
& #A
#A%
)
#A
! " A = r " ( r r + $ $ +
% + 0 + 0 + 0+
#r
#r
' #r
*
#A
)
$ & #A
#A
+ " ( r r + $ $ + % % + Ar$ + A$ ( ,r ) + 0+
r ' #$
#$
#$
*
#A
& #A
#A
)
%
+
" ( r r + $ $ + % % + Ar sin $% + A$ cos $% + A% , r sin $ + $ cos$ +
r sin$ ' #%
#%
#%
*
[(
& #A
#A
= ( $ % , %
#r
' #r
A% A% cos$
& 1 #Ar
1 #A$
+(
$,
r ,
$+
r sin$ #%
r
r sin$
' r sin$ #%
)
r+
*
& 1 #A%
1 #A$ A% cos$ )
= r (
,
+
+
r sin $ *
' r #$ r sin$ #%
& #A
1 #Ar A% )
+ $ ( , % +
,
r sin $ #%
r +*
' #r
1 #Ar A$ )
& #A
+ % ( $ ,
+
+
' #r
r #$
r *
! !
!" A =
* % ' $
r ' $
$A *
# '$Ar
$
$A *
A% sin # & # , +
& sin #
rA% , + ) ( rA# ) & r ,
)
)
r sin # ( $#
$% + r sin # ( $%
$r
$# +
+ r ( $r
( )
)]
Laplacian
The Laplacian is a scalar operator that can be determined from its definition as
! !
& # $ #
% # ) & #u $ #u
% #u )
! 2 u = ! " !u = ( r +
+
+
+
+ "(r
+
' #r r #$ r sin $ #% * ' #r r #$ r sin$ #% *
( )
= r "
# & #u $ #u
% #u )
+
+
(r
+
#r ' #r r #$ r sin $ #% *
$ # & #u $ #u
% #u )
"
+
+
(r
+
r #$ ' #r r #$ r sin $ #% *
%
# & #u $ #u
% #u )
+
"
+
+
(r
+
r sin $ #% ' #r r #$ r sin$ #% *
+
' # 2 u % #u % # 2 u
&
#u
& # 2 u *
! 2 u = r " ) r 2 $ 2
+
$ 2
+
,
r #% r #%#r r sin % #& r sin% #&#r +
( #r
+
% ' #u
# 2u r #u % # 2 u & cos % #u
&
# 2u *
" )%
+ r
$
+
$
+
,
r ( #r
#r#% r #% r #% 2 r sin 2 % #& r sin % #&#% +
'
&
#u # 2 u & cos % #u % # 2 u r sin % + % cos % #u
& # 2u *
" )& sin %
+r
+
+
$
+
,
r sin % (
#r
#r#&
r
#% r #%#&
r sin %
#& r sin % #& 2 +
1 # ' 2 #u *
1
# '
#u *
1
# 2u
)r
,+ 2
)sin % , + 2
2
2
r #r ( #r + r sin% #% (
#% + r sin % #& 2
!2 =